Radhika Merchant’s flower dupatta create a internet sensation, raising massive demands

As a flower dupatta worn by Radhika Merchant at the haldi function for her wedding with Anant Ambani goes viral, floral artists suggest how brides-to-be can achieve a similar, floral look

Wedding season is upon us. As Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla, Manish Malhotra, Anamika Khanna, and Tarun Tahiliani overwhelm Pinterest boards, courtesy the big-budget, trendsetting Ambani wedding, it is easy to lose hope. But amid Radhika Merchant’s many opulent lehengas, one dreamy look is going viral among brides-to-be for its simplicity, achievability, and traditional significance.

Karishma Tanna with floral jewelry; (right) Kavita and Srishti Kapur

For her haldi ceremony, Merchant donned a yellow Anamika Khanna lehenga. And yet, her simple dupatta made of flowers was the real showstopper. This, along with floral jewellery, was crafted a day prior by city-based mother-daughter duo Kavita and Srishti Kapur, who co-founded Floral Art. “The floral dupatta is called tagar ka jaal, where we weave tagar flowers [pinwheel] to craft the main dupatta. It is then bordered by flowers that blend with the colour of your outfit. As Radhika’s look was primarily yellow, we used marigold flowers to create the border,” they share, adding that it takes over six hours to craft a floral dupatta, and that it needs to be worn within a day. “This will be one of the most recreated looks in the wedding season. Many customers have already started placing orders with us,” Srishti reveals, adding that one can accesorise this dupatta with floral maang tikkas, tiaras, earrings, kamar bandh and more.

Which colour do you want?

“The flower dupatta has been trending in Pune since a long time before it started going viral,” shares Thane-based floral artist Rajeshri Patil. The founder of Hejal Fresh Flower Jewellery, explains that the centre of these dupattas are only made by weaving tagar flowers. The border is where creativity lies. “We use roses, marigold, rui, chrysanthemum and many other flowers to match the outfit. These dupattas are usually preferred for mehendi, haldi and baby showers functions. For green and purple outfits, go for chrysanthemums. For yellow outfits, pink roses look lovely!” she suggests, adding that this look can only be achieved when they are your functions. “You won’t wear a floral dupatta for a relative’s function no matter how close they are. It is a simple look that will make heads turn. I recommend you make the most of it while it is in trend,” she signs off.

Ace the look

Pranali Shah, floral artist, reveals that floral dupattas are traditional, and have been worn by brides across generations. “Usually, something becomes a trend when a celebrity wears it. But that doesn’t mean it is something new. I believe it was inspired from antarpat — the cloth that is held in front of the bride and the groom as part of a Hindu ceremony before they head to the mandap. A lot of people prefer the antarpat to be made of real flowers,” she explains.

Pair green outfits with yellow or white floral dupatta; (left) floral accessories can elevate the look further

She recreated the look on two models with a few modifications. For a yellow outfit, she stuck to crafting the dupatta just like Merchant with marigold flowers on the borders. For a green outfit, she created a border made of white and yellow flowers. “I replaced Radhika’s two-layered necklace with a choker, and instead made heavy floral earrings, a maang tikka and bracelet. In the second look with the green outfit, I went for a double-layered floral necklace, and just tops for earrings. I skipped the maang tikka as well,” she shares, explaining that one should either go for bold floral earrings and maang tikka along with bracelets, or a bold necklace. “Preferably, pick simple accessories for your hands and neck because the dupatta will cover them. You can also opt for either floral accessories to go along with your outfit or just the dupatta, depending on your budget. A look like Merchant’s may cost you around Rs 15,000 (including floral jewellery), while buying floral jewellery can cost around Rs 4,000,” she explains. One can also go for a traditional veni. “I don’t recommend this for haldi functions, because the current trend is to keep the hair open. You can add a touch of culture with a veni at baby showers,” she suggests.